Middle Tennessee State University's Band of Blue pauses to play a song during the MTSU Homecoming parade Saturday on Middle Tennessee Boulevard in Murfreesboro.

Metro schools intersession starts this week

Metro Nashville Public Schools will be closed this week while holding their second annual fall intersession programs.

While classes will not be held at elementary, middle and high schools, each will offer programs for students from Tuesday through Friday. Activities will range from remediation and ACT prep courses to community service and enrichment projects.

Schools also will be closed Monday for a teacher in-service. They will reopen Oct. 21 after fall break.

- Brian Wilson, The Tennessean

Election Commission moves to new offices

The Davidson County Election Commission completed its move its new offices just off Murfreesboro Pike last week.

The move to South Nashville came after a brief debate about the office's location between Mayor Karl Dean's administration and the commission's boards and employees. While Dean's administration wanted to move the offices to create a "one-stop permit shop" in its place, the board was unhappy it wasn't informed earlier about moving and its cost.

Both sides agreed to allow the commission to keep a satellite office at its former location at the Metro Office Building on Second Avenue. The satellite will offer voter registration and changes to voter records.

- Brian Wilson, The Tennessean

Project aims to use art to promote county

A group of local leaders hopes to promote Rutherford County and its iconic landmarks through a collection of vintage artwork as early as next spring.

Tara MacDougall, director of Discovery Center at Murfree Spring, and businesswoman Andrea Loughry led a meeting Wednesday morning at the courthouse, where the first image - of the courthouse itself - was unveiled. The artwork was created by Aaron Johnson of Nashville's Anderson Design Group.

The firm has created similar artwork for more than 100 sites in Nashville, along with Franklin, Knoxville, the U.S. National Park Service and Chrysler.

- Mealand Ragland-Hudgins, Gannett Tennessee

Man, 82, hospitalized with West Nile virus

A Murfreesboro man was diagnosed with West Nile virus Sept. 19 and is receiving care in an intensive care unit at Saint Thomas at Rutherford Hospital, according to family members.

Marion Rogers, 82, was physically active and had a clean bill of health before tests indicated he had the virus, said Guy Rogers, Marion Rogers' son.

Now his father is bedridden, unable to speak and occasionally unable to breathe without a ventilator, Guy Rogers said.

Doctors have not given a prognosis, the son said, as it can take weeks for the virus to run its course.

Most people exposed to the virus do not experience any illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it can be deadly, especially if it infects an infant or older person.

- Christopher Merchant, Gannett Tennessee

Federal shutdown doesn't stop field trips

Nearly 80 schoolchildren and their 60-plus chaperones made the best of their trips to Washington, D.C., in the face of the federal government's shutdown.

Rutherford County Schools' Homer Pittard Campus School sent 50 fifth-grade students and chaperones last week. Middle Tennessee Christian School sent 89 eighth-grade students, parents and teachers.

Todd Miller, principal of MTCS' secondary school, said Wednesday was the group's first day to visit Washington.

"Our group stopped at Monticello and Mount Vernon (historic sites in Virginia), and neither one of those sites are affected. They're getting as close as they can to the monuments, but they're not able to go in them, obviously," Miller told The Daily News Journal.

Both groups returned over the weekend.

- Mealand Ragland-Hudgins, Gannett Tennessee

Spring Hill, Fairview Wal-Marts set to open

Wal-Mart's presence in Williamson county soon will triple.

Spring Hill's 185,878-square-foot store will open Oct. 16, and the Fairview store is expected to open its doors for business early next year. There is also a store in Cool Springs.

- Jamie Page, The Tennessean

Symphony to visit Brentwood Middle

Students are used to their teachers harping about listening and paying attention in class.

Wednesday at Brentwood Middle School, the harping will come from, well, a harp. And yes, the kids had better be listening to their teachers: members of the Nashville Symphony.

During 12:30 and 1:40 p.m. performances at the school, the symphony will explore concepts typically associated with protecting the environment and show how they can be applied to the world of music.

Each year, the Nashville Symphony performs for thousands of students in grades K-12, delivering key educational concepts via the live concert experience.

- Staff reports

Camper, RV policy unlikely to change

Campers and motor homes will most likely remain off limits for permanent parking in Franklin city neighborhoods.

Since 2008, Franklin's city regulations have banned RV campers from residential neighborhood districts. Campers and RVs are allowed to be parked in the rear of homes in neighborhoods zoned for agricultural, estate residential, rural and commercial uses.

This summer, an RV owner raised questions about the city's rules, prompting city staffers to bring the matter to city aldermen and planning commissioners.

More than a month later, there appears to be little support among aldermen to drop the regulation out of fear that a neighborhood's property values might be lowered by long-term parking of the vehicles.

- Kevin Walters, The Tennessean

Gander Mountain plans Mt. Juliet store

National outdoor retailer Gander Mountain has submitted plans to build a 52,000-square-foot store in Mt. Juliet near Providence MarketPlace on property next to Two Rivers Ford on Belinda Parkway.

Gander Mountain, based in St. Paul, Minn., is a retail network of stores for hunting, fishing, camping, marine and outdoor lifestyle products.

Zoning is already in place for the proposed development, Mt. Juliet Mayor Ed Hagerty said.

The project is expected to be on the Mt. Juliet Planning Commission agenda for its Oct. 17 meeting.

Officials at Gander Mountain's corporate office did not comment on plans to build in Mt. Juliet, but the company has been expanding with new stores.

Gander Mountain has Tennessee stores in Jackson and Knoxville. There also is a Gander Mountain in Bowling Green, Ky.

- Andy Humbles, The Tennessean

Lebanon names new finance commissioner

Robert Springer is Lebanon's new commissioner of finance and is scheduled to be sworn in before the Nov. 5 council meeting.

For the past 8½ years he has been executive director of Hearthside, a senior retirement community in Lebanon. Springer, who was chosen from 13 applicants, replaces Russell Lee, who died in July.

Springer, 62, also has been the Alabama state executive director for the Farm Service Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and executive director of state operations for the Farm Service Agency of the USDA in Washington, D.C.

Stuart Lawson has worked as Lebanon's interim commissioner of finance.

- Andy Humbles, The Tennessean

Taste of Wilson County set for Oct. 17

More than 20 food vendors will participate in the fifth annual Taste of Wilson County scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Oct. 17 on the Lebanon Public Square.

Advance tickets are $20 or $5 for ages 6-11. On Oct. 17, tickets will be $25 or $10 for ages 6-11.

Tickets can be purchased at Old Hickory Credit Union Offices, the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce and Wilson Bank & Trust locations.

Proceeds will benefit the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce education programs.

- Andy Humbles, The Tennessean

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Midstate Briefs: Oct. 6

Metro Nashville Public Schools will be closed this week while holding their second annual fall intersession programs.